In today’s briefing:
- Asia’s Energy Security Push From LNG Dependence to Optionality
- August US Customs & Border Protection Data Confirm Softening Travel Trend in Most Segments, Regions
- China Healthcare Weekly Wrap (14-18 Sep)
- APAC Healthcare Weekly (Sept 20) –Sino Bio, Impact Therapeutics, Takeda, Daiichi Sankyo, SK Biopharm
Asia’s Energy Security Push From LNG Dependence to Optionality
- Asian LNG demand is forecast to fall 3–10% in 2026, its second consecutive decline, as high prices accelerate switching to coal, nuclear and domestic gas.
- September Asian LNG imports are expected at 20.1 million tonnes, an eight-year seasonal low, even as buyers continue securing long-term supply and import capacity.
- The market is shifting from LNG dependence to optionality, favouring low-cost, flexible supply over capacity reliant on continuously rising Asian utilisation.
August US Customs & Border Protection Data Confirm Softening Travel Trend in Most Segments, Regions
- Of the seven US metrics we track, six showed a weaker pace of Y/Y change vs July data
- Five of the seven border crossing metrics showed Y/Y declines in August (vs only two in July)
- As a proxy for US leisure and travel activity, the August numbers paint a bleak picture
China Healthcare Weekly Wrap (14-18 Sep)
- For World Lung Cancer Conference (WCLC 2026), we wrap-up key data updates, covering drugs from Akeso/SMMT, Hansoh/GSK, MediLink/Roche, RemeGen/AbbVie, Leads Biolabs, GenFleet, CSPC, Hengrui, and Henlius
- AI drugs news flow: 1) Lilly Tunelab announced agreements with Genscript, Twist, Gingko; 2) Harbour Bio developed world’s first language model for heavy-chains-only antibodies; 3) ByteDance’s Anew Labs raised US$290m
- Other updates include LEGN’s new CEO appointment, Chimagen/GSK licensing deal, China’s 5-year plan for pharmaceutical industry
APAC Healthcare Weekly (Sept 20) –Sino Bio, Impact Therapeutics, Takeda, Daiichi Sankyo, SK Biopharm
- Sino Biopharmaceutical’s NDA for bispecific ADC, TQB2102, has been accepted by NMPA for breast cancer. CHMP recommended approval of Impact Therapeutics’ Sepalna for epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers.
- FDA granted priority review to Takeda’s zasocitinib for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Daiichi Sankyo announced positive results from the Phase 3 trial evaluating Enhertu as a first-line treatment of NSCLC.
- SK Biopharmaceuticals has signed a license and equity investment agreement with 1ST Biotherapeutics to secure global exclusive development and commercialization rights for a new drug candidate for Parkinson’s disease.

